The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, December 20, 1962, page 5 (of 28)

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Yule Cards Behind, Our Readers Write to Us

EDITOR: I said it last year and it bears repeating this year: Miracle Mile, decorated for the holidays, is unusually beautiful for a business street, especially at night. So is Toyland at the end of the street. Free, colored post-cards of these scenes would publicize Coral Gables all over the world, and would be less expensive than the newspaper ads in a few cities which readers scarcely glance at. ROBERT H. THRONE 417 Santander Ave. (Editor's Note: We think reader Throne has a good idea and commend it to the City's Publicity Dept. However, lest anyone get confused, it should be pointed out that the Gables' advertising expenditure is wholly in local media and one of the major reasons is that outlined by Mr. Throne). ★ ★ ★ EDITOR: This is further about our telephone conversation of yesterday regarding our inquiry as to whether or not there was going to be a Christmas Home Decorating Contest this year. You informed us that there was not going to be one. We stated that regarding the previous contests held, it is our opinion that the contest was not managed in the proper manner. For example, at the banquet of the winners last year, there were 10 winners in all at the banquet held at the Coral Gables Country Club, while also attending the same banquet there were six to ten times as many realtors and a good portion of the banquet was devoted to real estate matters, etc. It seemed as though the contest was something they didn't especially care about. As a matter of note, we wish to state that there were various door prizes and every one was won by a realtor! It is our opinion that for the proper interest to be shown in a Christmas Home Decorating Contest, worthwhile prizes first must be offered. For example, in a suburb of Philadelphia, named Drexelbrook, a Christmas Home Decorating Contest was held each year with a substantial cash award for first, second and third place winners. If memory serves me correctly, the first prize winner was somewhere about $1,500 to $3,000. The second and third place winners were approximately $700 and $500, respectively! This truly made a contest of it and each and every home was much more outstanding than Anthony Abraham and (what used to be Mr. Cerneglla's) homes put together, which are the two outstanding attractions of Christmas in Coral Gables. This led to each and every home being decorated (in Drexelbrook) in such a manner that was beyond description. It was beautiful beyond words! One of the big things this led to was a terrific feeling of community spirit and a true and genuine interest in Christmas. It also led to attracting people from all over the state and elsewhere to visit Drexelbrook. Further, it stimulated sales in real estate and the merchants in general greatly benefited. Another reason we are writing at this time is that we are aware of the low real estate market at this time and we feel that if a contest were gotten together and organized with substantial prizes it would be an inducement to people to come to Coral Gables to live in a community known as the "City Beautiful," and at the Christmas season is the most beautiful yet! We therefore state in conclusion that the Coral Gables Board of Realtors is making a very serious mistake in not sponsoring the Christmas Contest this year and that for the benefit of all the Christmas Contest should be made bigger and better each and every year instead of eliminating it this year. MR. AND MRS. CLEMENT J. McGRATH ★ ★ ★ EDITOR: In last week's issue of your esteemed paper, Frank Lewis, in the opinion of myself and associates, should have stated WHY he believes readers of my previous letter were misinformed. And also why he did not take into consideration as we did that our Coral Gables Zoning Board would in all probability have been just as satisfied to decide at the meeting in question in favor of a popular re-zoning move, because the petition presented was also not wholly for or against. Mr. Lewis mentioned it is questionable if I have any justified interest in the issue. It should speak for itself when I say I have an address adjacent to his on Coconut Drive but I am informed that Crafts area in which these properties are located was once designated commercial, and with the will of the people could be again. Where any of Mr. Lewis' allegations have basis in fact is difficult to understand, particularly when there are many much more residential type neighborhoods in this city where property is not any more expensive, yet those thoroughfares are not being used for bus routes or as thru-ways for automobiles and almost every manner of commercial vehicle and commerce itself is not less than a block away. No one can truthfully say this section any longer offers the atmosphere and privacy which a one-family area ought to, and accordingly when opportunities so present the zoning restrictions ought to be liberalized and let the owners of Crafts properties benefit from increased values in return for enduring the present inconveniences. And in addition to which the ill manner of speaking and some of the things said by the spokeswoman for the people against re-zoning and the 'gentleman' who tried to block the path (before everyone in the room) of a lady with a view that differed and who was being called to speak thru the chairman at the meeting which sparked this correspondence, does not present a very favorable picture for the present zoning of the neighborhood. S. PACKMAN 3002 Coconut Dr. (Editor's note: See editorial today.) EDITOR: The following are answers to the questions asked by Mr. George Baker Thomson in his letter appearing in last week's issue of The Times. 1. U.S.S.R., Byelorussia, and Ukraine, each have one vote in the U.N. General Assembly. The United States has only one vote. Byelorussia, and Ukraine are integral parts of Russia which gives Russia three votes. This is not even any pretense that they are independent of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, in their political structure. Yet, our government "leaders," such as Alger Hiss, permitted Russia to get these extra votes when they drafted the U.N. Charter in 1945. Any one of the 50 states of the United States has more independence than does either Byelorussia or Ukraine. But our government "leaders" did not obtain the same privileges for us that they gave Russia. It should be noted here, that our present "leaders" are pushing hard to destroy the independence of our 50 states. Their goal seems to be to create a centralized government with subservient states similar to the political structure of Byelorussia, Ukraine and U.S.S.R. We can stop this centralization of power if we make it our business to recognize what they are doing and then speak up and speak out. 2. How did it occur? This sellout to Russia at the U.N., by our leaders, occurred in 1945 and has been in effect ever since. 3. Explains Article 4, Section 1, of the U.N. Charter. It is an example of the double talk and deception that is the U.N. Charter. It reads as follows: "Members in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations." The hypocrisy of this, and all other provisions in the U.N. Charter is — that the leaders of Russia, India, Indonesia, Yugoslavia, etc, are not "peace loving." Yet these same communist, and "neutral" dictators in the U.N. are trying to get their friend, Red China, into the U.N. The weasel words in the above section is,—that the admittance is made subject to "the judgment of the Organization," and a vast majority of the "Organization" are Communist, socialist, and "Neutral" dictators with the same ideology as Communist China. GERALD PUCCI 250 Bird Rd.

S. Florida Christmas CHRISTMAS IN FLORIDA

CHRISTMAS IN FLORIDA The visitor sadly shook his head As he basked in the tropical sun, "Call this Christmas?" to us he said, "Well, not where I come from!" Christmas needs snow and ice and cold, And the sound of the sleighbells' ring; As for me, I can't be sold On the weather that feels like spring." We looked at him and then we smiled As he scoffed at our plight, We felt pity and were not riled Because he was far from right. No snow fell on Bethlehem The night the Star first shone. There was no blizzard nor howling gale That swept with shriek and moan. The breeze was soft and what is more, The night the Christ Child came Hibiscus bloomed near the stable door As Mary murmured HIS name. The Heavenly Host in the starry sky Proclaimed the birth of the Kind, And rustling palms echoed the cry As the whole earth seemed to sing. So we find here in our sun-drenched land, Untouched by ice and snow, That the spirit of Christmas is near at hand, And we feel God willed it so. —Jim Moore. (Editor's Note: The above was written some years ago by Jim Moore, one-time managing editor of this newspaper and now in public relations in New York. His family still lives here).

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Kasdin Drugs

A CHRISTMAS TRADITION American Greetings CHRISTMAS CARDS VISIT OUR SPECIAL DISPLAY TODAY Kasdin Drugs 276 Miracle Mile

Peggo Cromer

Visitor's Week! You are invited to watch DANCE GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR CHRISTMAS! and a DANCE CALENDAR for a Stocking Gift Ballet, Jazz, Teen-time Ballroom Peggo Cromer SOUTH MIAMI SCHOOL OF BALLET 7310 S.W. 62nd PLACE (South Miami Lions Club) MO 1-4218 MO 7-3722

THE "P"STANDS FOR PLEASURE...

P THE "P"STANDS FOR PLEASURE... ... and plenty of parking! Coral Gables offers FREE PARKING in all metered municipal lots as well as on-street spaces after 6 P.M. till Christmas! WELCOME TO CORAL GABLES